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Pigs Fly? IMF Acknowledges Error

The International Monetary Fund admits to having miscalculated austerity measures that have now ruined so many countries; with the rise of online courses, some predict college will be completely free in a decade; meanwhile, Western sanctions imposed on Iran are severely affecting the lives of Iranian civilians. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

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The headline news from the latest IMF World Economic Outlook is the downward revision of 2013 growth forecasts—from 1.8 percent to 1.5 percent for advanced countries, and from 5.8 percent down to 5.6 percent for emerging and developing countries.

Eat more chocolate, win more Nobels?
Take this with a grain of salt, or perhaps some almonds or hazelnuts: A study ties chocolate consumption to the number of Nobel Prize winners a country has and suggests it’s a sign that the sweet treat can boost brain power.